Pairwise Testing Comes of Age

You've heard of orthogonal arrays and pairwise testing. Perhaps you've used a pairwise test case generator tool. Have you ever wondered where these popular and powerful techniques originated? Actually they have been around for almost twenty years. During this time, important test design principles have emerged and choices for test generation tools have improved. George Sherwood, inventor of CATS, one of the first pairwise test tools, reviews what we have learned and how it applies to testing today. He shows the benefits of using pairwise test techniques for selecting configurations and for generating test data. George also outlines important considerations for successful pairwise test designs, including the problems to anticipate and avoid. George dispels the mystery of pairwise test generators with a simplified view of how they work. He explains how recent advances in computing platforms and mathematical constructions will improve the next generation of tools.

• Lessons learned from years of pairwise testing experience
• Simple pairwise test tactics for normal test cases and error conditions
• What is beyond orthogonal arrays for more complex testing challenges